Chiropractic adjustments are the foundation of treatment in our office. Even though we do have additional therapies that are often performed along with the adjustment, it’s the adjustment that is responsible for your body’s recovery back to good health.
The adjustment is the foundation to help the rest of your body function as it should. Any additional therapies we perform are to help with pain, spasm, or to help your adjustment last longer by calming down muscles.
Chiropractic adjustments are often confused with manipulations or mobilization of the spine. The difference is really intent and specificity. In a manipulation or mobilization, the goal is to restore movement to the regions of the spine that are being affected.
With an adjustment, the objective is to find the vertebra that is out of alignment, determine which way it has moved out of place, and then restore movement and alignment. We want the vertebra that is out of alignment and putting pressure on a nerve to be restored to its normal position to allow the body’s natural healing processes to kick in.
In many cases, we take an initial x-ray of the affected area prior to starting chiropractic care. Later, we will often see a visible change on an x-ray taken after the patient has been under care for a period of a couple months. They may have a pelvis out of alignment or a loss of curve that improves after receiving specific chiropractic adjustments along with recommended home exercises and stretches.
While using our hands to deliver this type of treatment is the preferred method of adjusting in our office (usually referred to as a Diversified Technique adjustment), we do perform Activator Adjustments (a handheld instrument) and may use a Drop Table (a special table that removes the need for any twisting during the adjustment).
Which adjusting style we use will be based on your condition and your own personal preference after receiving your initial adjustments. In our office, the hands-on version usually delivers the fastest results, but it’s not a requirement.
If you’re uncomfortable with “popping” or “cracking” that may accompany this type of treatment, the other adjusting options may be a good option for you. Just know that we can and will vary our adjusting style based on your feedback. While we want you to get the best results possible quickly, it’s even more important that you’re happy with the process and your visits.
Communicating with your chiropractor about your case, care, and treatment is a major part of getting your desired results. For more on chiropractic adjustments, check out the article and definition from the Mayo Clinic.